Shanghai (AFP) – Rapacious middlemen and coaches with forged or few qualifications are trying their luck in China’s fast-growing grassroots football, imperilling its ambitions to become a major force in the sport, insiders warn.
At the behest of football-fan President Xi Jinping, for whom it is a soft-power tool, the world’s second-biggest economy is throwing resources at the game domestically.
Central to that is getting more youngsters to play at schools, clubs and academies. The education min... Tags: China, Spain, Sport, Soccer, Xi Jinping, Shanghai, Uefa, Toulouse, Castro, Shenzhen, Afp, Shanghai SIPG, Xie, SIPG, Wu Lei, Chinese Super League CSL

Guangzhou Evergrande coach Fabio Cannavaro has targeted victory in the final three games of the Chinese Super League season after the champions beat Guizhou Zhicheng 3-0 on Sunday to keep the pressure on leaders Shanghai SIPG.
Evergrande, title winners for the last seven seasons, are aiming for a record-extending eighth crown and three more victories -- including against SIPG when the teams go head-to-head next weekend -- would deliver it.
"It was a very difficult game," Cannavaro said... Tags: Football, Sport, Story, Shanghai, Chinese Super League, Guangzhou Evergrande, Fabio Cannavaro, Cannavaro, SIPG, Guizhou Zhicheng

Wu Lei scored twice as Shanghai SIPG restored their four-point gap at the top of the Chinese Super League with a 5-0 thrashing of bottom-of-the-table Guizhou Zhicheng on Sunday.
Wu was joined on the scoresheet by Wang Shenchao, Hulk and Elkeson, and the win keeps SIPG clear of seven-time defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande with just five games remaining as they moved a step closer to their first league title.
"It was a very good game for us, especially in the second half, and we played very... Tags: Football, Sport, Story, Shanghai, Chinese Super League, Guangzhou Evergrande, Elkeson, Wu, SIPG, Wu Lei, Guizhou Zhicheng, Wang Shenchao Hulk

Shanghai (AFP) – Oscar demanded Shanghai SIPG improve “in many aspects” after the Brazilian star’s big-spending side failed to convince in becoming the fourth Chinese team to reach the Asian Champions League group stage. SIPG limped to a 1-0 home victory over Thai minnows Chiangrai United in coach Vitor Pereira’s first game in charge since taking over from the...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story. Tags: Sport, Soccer, Shanghai, Asian Champions League, Afp, Vitor Pereira, SIPG, Chiangrai United

Shanghai (AFP) – Former Porto and Fenerbahce boss Vitor Pereira vowed to go one better than fellow Portuguese Andre Villas-Boas and win a trophy in his first season at big-spending Shanghai SIPG. But the 49-year-old, who succeeded Villas-Boas at Porto in 2011 and was named his replacement at SIPG on Tuesday, will face a number of challenges on his first foray into China and its...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story. Tags: China, Sport, Soccer, Shanghai, Porto, Fenerbahce, Afp, Pereira, André Villas Boas, Villas Boas, Vitor Pereira, SIPG

Obafemi Martins could have a chance to play at another World Cup if he keeps maintains his scoring form, Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has told KweséESPN.
The 33-year-old, who plays in China for Shanghai Shenhua, has scored 16 goals in 39 appearances, with his last goal coming in Sunday's 3-2 second leg win over SIPG to lead his team to the Chinese FA Cup title.
The Nigerian also scored the only goal of the first leg, which saw Shenhua progress on the away-goal rule.
Martins also boasts a respe... Tags: China, Nigeria, Football, Sport, Story, FIFA World Cup, Obafemi Martins, Shanghai Shenhua, Martins, SIPG, Rohr, Shenhua, Gernot Rohr, Kwes ESPN